The Day After Elections 2016: World Freedom Day

As U.S. Elections 2016 are closed, our calendar marks World Freedom Day. Ironically, this is a day of the celebration of deconstructed dividing walls.

November 9 celebrates the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, aka the Iron Curtain, which was erected in order to divide Soviet-occupied East Berlin from the Allied West and its accused "fascism". After World War II, the West did not impress the machine of Communism; the Soviet movement of which believed that riches of aristocracy and democratic hierarchy were a threat to their freedom, with capitalism being precursor to imperialism and specifically U.S. Capitalism being a uniquely powerful threat.

Before long, many Berliners of the socialist East would flee Communism, via Berlin's last gate, in defection from new leadership of the Soviets. The capitalist, democratic West simply offered greater promise of livelihood to these people who would only experience greater restrictions over a decade of increasing blockades to their freedom. Ultimately, the Berlin Wall was fully enforced and all movement Westward was stopped in an effort to maintain the working and productive populations of communist East Berlin.

After approximately 30 years of post-World War II strife that often resulted in death to those who would attempt to flee East Berlin, the Iron Curtain was taken down in the Revolutions of 1989 and the Fall of Communism. Spurred in part by the Chernobyl disaster, Caucasus, Baltic and other Eastern Bloc states desired autonomy from Russia and its single-party Soviet focus. Such social changes in politics eroded the power of the Soviet influence and, whether via the people or the system itself, the wall was  brought down.

Writing Prompt Questions:

• Was there victory in communism with the erection of the Berlin Wall? 
• Had the threat of communism faded at the time that the Berlin Wall was deconstructed in 1989? 
• Is there a threat of communism today? 
• How would you exemplify World Freedom Day?

Origin of National Author's Day & Our YA Book Suggestion

By now a good portion of us are aware that today, November 1, is National Author's Day. Did you realize that this annual recognition has been in play since 1928? For almost a century, Americans have enjoyed the occasion as a time to consider their favorite, most admired authors, and to somehow show their love.

The reasoning behind the day was born of the generosity of one author in particular, who went an extra mile for one of his readers. Thereafter, beginning with one woman, executed and continued by others, the popularity of National Author's Day grew to a degree that grabbed enough attention to claim official recognition and is today a widely supported event.

Our National Author Day YA Book Recommendation

Acting along the vein of the nature of the day, we're recommending a favorite author with whom we're familiar, and one of her books: The Basement (Robbie's Rite of Passage), by Vashti Quiroz-Vega, is a young-adult (YA) horror fiction selection with intriguing illustrations. The theme touches on bullying and relationships, and is an inspiring tale of overcoming the all-too-common angst that can exist among this age group.

Inspirational YA Horror Fiction The Basement

In the spirit of the day, we believe and recognize that this author has worked to tap into the fact that there can be inspiration for young people in the popular genre of horror fiction. Further, she does a great job of delivering a uniquely Kingesque experience that is enjoyable to fans of the popular horror master.

Let us know if you decide to pick it up!

National Literacy Day: Prose Literacy's Neo-Significance in a Tech Society

When we think of literacy in a diverse society, we often relate it to a basic ability of employee job performance. This is especially true of those accustomed to diverse workplace environments that strive to include every demographic of a community with capacity for job performance, per job at hand. One is either literate or illiterate, according to their ability to do a job in a company. Also, one may be regarded as literate or illiterate according to their ability to interact with another person on the street.

Traditional Literacy

Such a narrow measure shouldn't be confused with one's total literacy, or potential for literacy. One important point is that literacy of any kind is typically a measure of the capacity to communicate in a particular language that is common between people. A person may be completely literate in their native language, but also illiterate in another.

If we want to continue to progress as a species, then we must realize true literacy for what it is. Literacy is not multilingualism; and one who is multilingual may not be literate in any other way, necessarily. In fact, literacy is a multi-faceted model that metamorphizes with time and culture. For example, among today's known global societal cultures, there are a number of digitally illiterate persons. Ironically, such persons may be significantly more prose literate than their digitally adept counterparts. So, which one is more important?

Other common literacy distinctions are: financial literacy, mathematical literacy (quantitative, or numerate literacy) and information literacy . . . to name a few. Prose literacy, however, is the root of most articulateness.

Prose Literacy

When we learn that it's National Literacy Day, we can generally be sure that what's in focus is one's general ability to make sense of various prose information. This is because-- traditionally-- reading and writing have been the standards of one's ability to collect, use and disseminate information. Prose literacy has been a basic building block of progress to humankind. Despite the advent of new forms of media against which to measure our level of literacy, we still generally must revert to good ole' reading comprehension and an ability to write.

While reading and writing are at the core of prose literacy, it must be understood that the entirety of prose literacy involves abilities to decipher and communicate styles of writing, such as fiction, news, poetry, etc. Such capacity ensures that a person is more readily able to identify things like propaganda. This consideration alone should illustrate the importance of literate comprehension.

Prose Illiteracy is in a Risky State of Development

In the face of so much technological progress made in such a short time lately, some mistakenly believe it no longer important to pass along the idea that reading and writing are critically important aspects of a complete literacy package. One might get by without them; yet, one's chances may be significantly improved through high levels of prose literacy. Certainly, when we consider more than one person, ability to read and write become increasingly important among a collective. Please refer to this 1994 assessment of adult literacy skills to get an idea of how percentages of people from various nationalities scored on incremental levels of literacy. Then, for a broader sense of national literacy rates, refer to a 2016 world ranking of general literacy rates.

Although it's been noted that a native U.S. ranking since undertaken has moved the U.S. from rank 11 to rank 7, (because 11 simply didn't sound right enough) isn't it still an alarming acknowledgement of our trajectory from the top?

A result of increased awareness, National Literacy Day was born. Officially, November 1 is to be known in the U.S. as National Family Literacy Day. Still, it's focus differs slightly among groups, while the essence of the event is that we strive to acknowledge measures and capacities of prose literacy, while we also strive to raise measures as we raise interest among the people to continue the legacy of prose literacy even as it's relevance seems to fade.

The significance of the national focus on "family literacy" is in the need for families to recognize the importance of instilling an interest in their children and commit to activities that support it. Also, the need is of a community at large, and communities are likewise encouraged to acknowledge the day with relevant activities and information in support of our need for the highest levels of prose literacy.

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Let us know what you think about questions presented, about what kinds of things can be done to promote literacy, or about literacy in general. 

Monday Evening: Time to self-reflect and remotivate your entire work week

Let's face it: Mondays have potential to reset our tone for the week! Our busiest days are typically this first business day.

Consequently, Monday evenings can be the most difficult times we may have in separating ourselves from the day and achieving a more relaxed night. To resolve this issue, establish Monday evening as a priority time for a personal writing exercise.

Hint: undertake this exercise as early as feasible after your work on Monday

What kind of personal writing exercise can you do? Poetry is an option, and surely it can be effective to one's progress in the craft to set a standard time to practice those poetry skills. Other types of personal writing might include journal-keeping or personal essay pages.

The latter two are similar types of basic writing that offer a different starting mindset, and usually a different result. These types of writing can appeal to almost anyone, and it only takes one quick page to serve our purpose of changing gears for significant release of the day's tension.

Benefits of Personal Writing on Monday Evening

Consider that writing a journal entry actually records one or more events of your day, and may present you with workable solutions to a problem or event. Also, it's a way of logging milestones at a regular interval. Because Monday happens to be an easy day to remember to write a journal-- aka diary-- entry, we've expanded our original thought to include this basic task as a means of reflection and release. This is one task with great potential of personal reward.

To write a journal entry any day(s) of the week has long been a way for professional or hobby writers, as well as any person from any walk of life, to log progress and failure, dissect thoughts and imprints, and generally sort themselves out mentally.   

Alternatively, a personal essay is an opportunity to expand this personal writing exercise beyond the borders of a typical journal entry. You may have a great idea or topic ready to go. Or, maybe you've been too busy to consider it. No worries! Whatever you've been working on throughout your day, you can create a mental release (and still achieve some productivity) through a writing prompt. Such a prompt can be sourced almost anywhere:

• any major or minor event of the day that stirs some emotion
• local news items or politics
• an intriguing billboard statement, image or other stimulating input you've noticed on the way home
• a picture in a magazine
• an article you've read
• research #writingprompt

Simply, pick a prompt and begin to write!

Any writing exercise we've highlighted here may be the key you need to unlock a restful state of mind. Adopt the habit. It's potential is regeneration for a fresh Tuesday and greater chance of a positive week.

Review:

Monday journal - make a diary habit on Monday, soon after work. It's an effective way to recall and evaluate the effect of your preparations for that Monday; further, to consider the day's unfolding and whether anything could have been better executed for a smoother start the next week. Essentially, it's a great way to confirm that you've set your week up in the most productive and efficient way possible.

Monday essay - relative to a journal entry, the personal essay offers a means to break a day's litany of events by using a writing prompt to generate new thoughts (and new written topic material). You could relate the prompt to your day, or choose a wildcard prompt. Either way, expect a mental boost! Through the effort of a personal essay, we're pushing our minds to work in different directions, in effect reaching out from at least one different perspective.

Whichever way you go, it's only going to take a time or two to realize some the stated benefits. Let us know if this is similar to something you already do, if you plan to add this Monday task into your routine, or when you have results! Feel free to link an entry you've published in comments.

REF

Notepad image via crisg at Openclipart

Endorse Your Candidates on Facebook

If you trust your Facebook friends and followers, or don't mind being abandoned by them, then you can take advantage of the the social platform's newest buttons and whistles by visiting your presidential candidate's page and clicking a button to broadcast your endorsement of their lofty ambition.

We imagine the candidates love this new development. As of the time we're writing this post, there are no visible endorsements on the two leading candidates' pages (though they've surely been made). The primary purpose seems to be for Facebook users to claim endorsements for their profiles and pages, and let the banter ensue.

Thank Facebook, Spin and Jeremy Gordon, for bringing this new development to the public, each in their unique way. Gordon's funny take on the reasoning behind social media's latest gateway to transparency is bound to be shared by many.

Direct Messaging on Twitter [via Desktop]

Process & Etiquette of Twitter's Direct Message Service

Social Media's Twitter platform attracts every kind of user, each of whom develops a unique style of communication to fit an objective into a Tweet allowance of just a few characters. Another option for messaging on Twitter is the Direct Message (DM). This is the most private option for messaging other Twitter users on the platform. It's also the option that's not limited to just 140 characters!

Receiving Direct Messages (DMs) on Twitter

Where a user has chosen the option to "Receive Direct Messages from anyone", then anyone with a Twitter account can send that user a DM at any time . . .even if they're not following their target of contact.

If you want any Twitter user to be able to send you a Direct Message at any time, then you may find and select this setting under Security & Privacy options. Find Security & Privacy on the left sidebar of the Twitter account settings page.

How to find the account settings page:

1. Hover/click on your Twitter profile image in the upper-right corner
2. Find & click "Settings" on the drop-down menu that appears
3. Now find & click "Security & Privacy" on the left sidebar area
4. Scroll down until you see the "Direct Messages" heading for settings

It'll look something like this:

Simply click the box to add a check-mark indication that you want any Twitter user to be able to DM you. When the box is unchecked, a user #1 may not receive Direct Messages from other users until that user #1 follows them.

*There is rumor that some users still don't have access to the setting feature that allows Direct Messages from "any user". All we can imagine about this is that it's all part of some Twitter experiment that's either been forgotten or is being undertaken long-term. The image above is recent, taken 10/14/2016.

We'd like to know if some users still don't have this option in your settings panel, so please inform us in comments whether or not you have this feature and if you use it or not. 

*When this feature is turned on, beware that incoming messages could be group chats.

The usefulness of accepting Direct Messages from anyone depends on a user. Celebrity Twitter users might prefer not to accept DMs from just anyone. To do so could mean an endless stream of messages, most of which could never be seen. Yet, a service provider or business owner might want to consider the potential added value of DMs from users who don't follow their account.

When you receive a Direct Message on Twitter, it could be a good idea to respond in some way. Except, avoid response in cases where you've received a harassing or otherwise inappropriate message. If this happens, you want to consider blocking the user that sent such a message. Also, users with a very large number of followers-- especially fans-- can see exorbitant numbers of DMs, which of course wouldn't be possible to address in total.

Sending DMs (Direct Messages) on Twitter

The moment one Twitter user follows another, the followed user is then able to send a Direct Message to their new follower. Doing so is a great way for a followed account to offer a personable greeting to new followers. . . something to consider doing, especially when the new follower's Twitter Bio indicates a common interest.

It's certainly not necessary at this point to reach out to every new follower. In fact, it could be near impossible under some circumstances. We'll add that it's not always desirable to send Direct Messages to every new follower.

It may be preferable to reserve Direct Messaging for the kind of private, personalized conversation that is sometimes needed when we're dealing with others. For example, this kind of private social contact is a method, like email, that some companies like to offer their customers in addition to traditional methods. Such an extension of customer service isn't always available, but works well under some circumstances.

In any case, Twitter users can elect to set up an auto-respond (auto DM) tool that sends an automated greeting each time an account gains a follower.

Learn more about sending auto DMs.

The Etiquette of Direct Message Communication

Some Twitter users will use an automation service, as suggested above, to send immediate Direct Messages when followed. Other times, users just want to be connected; a new follow doesn't necessarily mean a DM will be sent (right away, or ever). Be patient: it'll happen if it's meant to be.

As in life, sometimes it's about getting to know one another to ensure a good fit. Or, maybe someone seriously just wants to follow you for occasional great information (or to be followed by relevant and interested account holders and managers).

A Direct Message can be a simple greeting to offer an hello (but possibly shouldn't be, as we can do this by way of using our Twitter Handles within Tweets).  Some users may send a friendly "thanks for following" with some relevant piece of information, perhaps with another avenue of contact provided, while other user DMs serve as links to sales pitches (sometime strong ones) or blog posts, etc. The latter can be a fun, optional way to get to know someone . . .the former, an example of questionable etiquette, though not always out of place. It depends on a number of extenuating factors that will have varied outcomes according to target contact values.

As far as sending a link via Direct Message: unless it's a private link, a better use of Twitter (for marketing) would be to use a Tweet. We can send links to other users via their Twitter Handle! Using Tweets this way, one may target a user in public or private less-public mode. Sending links this way broadcasts your invite to many more users than one! Read about how to use this method to shout out public information to other users here.
 

Suggestions for Keeping up Appearances on Twitter via Direct Messaging

As always with etiquette, it's important to remember that everyone doesn't necessarily hold the same values at all times. Any common etiquette suggestions, especially in social media communications, are observational best practices combined with traditional principles of etiquette in communication and behavior.

We can offer some basic suggestions for consideration. Suggestions below may indicate a needed change to an aspect of one's total social media management and communications strategy.

• If you send a DM that includes a question, reply to any return message you receive, especially when it attempts to answer your question
• When you receive a DM, always respond. Don't just leave them hanging (there are exceptions, sometimes a consequence of etiquette . . .comment an example)
• Ensure that responses to DMs are timely
• If you auto-DM respond to new followers, they can usually tell! Be sure it's as sincere a blanket message as possible
• Ensure that your auto DM isn't merely a prompt to follow you in another space
• Know when to quit
• Unless you're friends, DM contacts are usually for succinct messaging. Take the conversation to higher levels (other spaces)
• First DMs should include a short self-introduction and reason for contact with target

Do any of these etiquette suggestions resonate with your experience on Twitter? Let us know in comments!

Learn more about what you can do with Twitter Direct Messages.

Let us know what you think: Do you have other suggestions? Under which circumstances do you think a Twitter user would want to receive Direct Messages from anyone? How do you feel about the new extended DM feature?


REF:

Agrawal, Harsh. "2 Free Twitter Tools to Send Automated Direct Messages". Shout Me Loud. 10/13/2016.  http://www.shoutmeloud.com/free-twitter-tools-send-auto-dm-mass-dm.html. 10/14/2016.

Poe, Janita. "How to Auto DM in Twitter". Ehow. [?] http://www.ehow.com/how_6810662_auto-dm-twitter.html.  Retrieved 10/14/2016.

Acunzo, Jay. "The One Mistake Almost Everybody Makes on Twitter". Hubspot. 10/18/2013. http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/one-mistake-everybody-makes-on-twitter-ht. 10/14/2016.

Twitter authors. "Direct Messages". Twitter, Basics. Retrieved 10/14/2016.

RE: How Facebook censors your posts - CBS News

We've seen positive and negative outcomes of greater connectivity by way of land travel, shipping, flight and eventually internet. Advent of social media has helped a great number of us connect to others with whom we otherwise wouldn't have been able, and to do so on a regular basis.

For some reason, we've used our newest medium of communication as a sort of frontier to test the limitations of our thoughts. As children, we learned basic humane behavior in the presence of others, and yet we ultimately allowed ourselves to set some of that aside . . . thinking we had a new, unregulated, venue. This seems to prove that without regulatory presence we tend to be quite brutal . . . often as a first resort. While this isn't exactly news, it is alarming. So many of us had been under an impression that we'd overcome most of the horrible tendencies of behavior among humans. Alas, it's just not so.

Since the internet was broadened to include the public, we've used the new capacity to explore, and we've learned to identify that there are certain limitations to free speech and that effective speech requires finesse in any situation, but especially where you want a positive outcome.

Free Speech - What Gives

There are times to speak and times to be quiet. We have speech and we have harassment. We're a brutal, sneaky people and often need behavioral checks. Is Facebook the company to do it?

Some are calling for better Facebook policy regarding practices of censorship. But, come on now . . . is that really what's needed? After all, how could a single company do a better job of detailing what "freedom of speech" means than our all-encompassing national constitution? Well-trained legal representatives are challenged to define free speech in a way that makes everyone happy. How is Facebook-- a social media company-- to succeed in defining it?

It's not; at least, not directly. As usual, it's going to be left to the people to sort out, because it's too complicated for policy to direct. The already-existing policy is our guide, along with the rest of our experiences. The real question may be as simple as, "why can't people just be nice all the time".

We see the struggle most every day, and some of us take hearty part in it. Using "counter speech", we work to regulate conversations. To what end do we do so? Well, it is up to each person participating. This is part of how our freedom of speech is working for us, by maintaining an open venue as much as possible.

How to do Free Speech 

Possibly the greatest service we can do for society today is to acknowledge that free speech exists, and that it doesn't mean we can always say what we want to say . . . not without possibility of some blowback under certain circumstances. It'll help too, to realize that just because a few people might be in full expectation and anticipation of a blowback, doesn't mean that such an action should take place.

If speech is intended to tear something down that is perceived as good by anyone, then expect that there may be some limitation to that speech. In fact, we could consider the limitations to be a light form of blowback-- a term which is being used in the lightest context already in this context.

Essentially, we could make things easier on ourselves if we accept that it is almost always necessary to speak effectively, rather than freely. Such an approach allows us to rely less on supposed principles that are in fact difficult to uphold.

REF:

How Facebook censors your posts - CBS News

Facebook Community Standards Policy

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